


Great Outdoors, The

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-06-02
Updated: 2001-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-15 02:52:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 15,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14782265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The gang goes camping.





	1. Great Outdoors, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Title: The Great Outdoors  
Author: AJ  
Rating: R, I suppose... Language. Nothin' else. I promise. O:)  
Disclaimers: Not mine. Don't sue. I have nothing. Not even a computer...  
Notes: Thanks to Janie, Katie, and Jenn for being sounding boards. And to my wonderful, one of a kind sistah, DC! She's fabulous. Couldn't function without her! Well, I could, but I'd sound like an idiot.  
Spoilers: Bits and pieces of everything, I suppose.  
Summary: The gang goes camping...

  


"Sam!" Josh shouted, his right hand tapping the frame of Sam's office door as he ran inside, only to find it empty. "Sam!" Josh shouted again.

"He's not here," Cathy informed Josh casually, as she stayed seated behind her desk.

"Where is he?" Josh lowered his voice as he walked out of Sam's office and into the communications bullpen.

"He's in his meeting on the hill," Cathy looked up at Josh. "Why?"

"Uh, no reason," Josh said, a slight tone of disappointment appearing in his voice. "I was just wondering what he's doing this weekend."

"Nothing that I know of," Cathy answered.

Josh nodded slowly as he began to tap his fingers against Cathy's desk. "When's he coming back?"

"He'll be back a little after three."

"What time is it now?"

"A little after two."

"How do you know?" Josh asked. "You didn't even look at your clock."

"Didn't need to," She replied quickly.

"Why's that?"

"I have a special talent," Cathy informed him.

"Really?" Josh asked. Cathy nodded, but said nothing.

Josh stood there a minute longer, seeming absolutely intrigued. Then he gave his head a slight shake and said, "Tell Sam I came by."

"Okay," Cathy watched as Josh walked back to his office.

"You are so bad," Ginger said from her desk.

"What?" Cathy smirked, swinging her chair around so she could see her co-worker.

"You do not have a special talent," Ginger accused. "The reason you knew what time it was, was because I had just informed you before Josh came storming in."

"Yeah," Cathy grinned. "But Josh doesn't know that."

"You are so bad."

"I'm just having a little fun," She smiled innocently.

"Just watch," Ginger warned. "This is somehow going to come back around to bite you in the ass."

"Because Josh thinks I have a special talent?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Cathy said, her voice clearly communicating that she didn't really care.

"You just wait," Ginger added as Cathy moved her chair back around to face her desk. Once back around, Cathy rolled her eyes. "I saw that!" Ginger proclaimed.

"Saw what?"

"You rolling your eyes at me."

"Okay," Cathy didn't take the bait.

~~~

"Son of a..." Sam said in a low, angry voice as he stomped toward his office. "Cathy!" He yelled as he flung his office door open and proceeded to his desk. "Cathy!" He yelled again as he sat down at his desk.

"What?" she asked from her desk.

"Get me... get me..." He trailed off as he raised a hand to his mouth and bit his thumbnail.

"Get you what?"

"Damnit," Sam cursed again, moving his hand away from his mouth and slapping it back on the desk.

"Sam?" Cathy asked, entering his office.

"We just lost our support for the thing," Sam pressed his lips together tightly.

Cathy nodded, "I'll have Margaret tell Leo."

"Thanks," Sam said, his voice still showing his anger.

"No problem," she turned to leave, then turned back around. "Oh yeah. Josh came by earlier. He wants to know what you're doing this weekend."

At that, Sam forgot his problems momentarily and smiled up at his assistant. "I'm going camping this weekend."

"Yeah?" Cathy asked, showing fake interest.

"Yes," He grinned. "Ainsley and I are going camping."

"You're going camping? With Ainsley?"

"She said she loves the outdoors," Sam explained.

"So you're going camping with her?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Okay," Cathy said once more before leaving Sam's office and going back to her desk.

  


	2. Great Outdoors, The 2

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Hey Josh," Sam said casually as he entered Josh's office.

Josh looked up at the younger man, "We lost support?"

Sam sighed, "Yeah. Leo's looking into it now." Sam leaned against the table in front of Josh's chalkboard. "So Cathy said you came by earlier."

"Yeah," Josh leaned back in his chair. "Hey, did you know she had a special talent?" After getting a look from Sam, Josh continued. "Yeah. She can tell you what time it is without looking at a clock."

"Okay," Sam said disinterested.

"You don't find that interesting?"

"Not really."

"Okay," Josh replied. "Hey, what are your plans this weekend?"

"I'm going camping," Sam informed him with a smile. "With Ainsley." 

"Ah," Josh nodded.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Uh, no reason." Josh sat up and shook his head. "I thought we could do something together, but..."

Sam nodded, "Yeah. Hey... if you want to tag along..."

"Tag along where?" Donna asked, walking into Josh's office and setting some files down on Josh's desk.

"Camping," Sam responded.

"You're going camping?" Donna looked at Sam with a grin on her face. Sam nodded and so Donna continued. "If he tags along, can I too?"

"I haven't said I was tagging along," Josh informed them.

"Sure," Sam said at the same time as Josh.

"Remember, nature doesn't exactly get along with me," Josh continued.

Donna spun around, "Come on Josh! This will be fun! Besides, I happen to know you don't have any other plans."

"Okay," Josh gave in easily, knowing that Donna was right.

"Great!" Donna grinned.

"So you're both going?" Sam asked, just to make sure.

"Yes," Donna answered for both of them.

"Okay," Sam nodded. "So, are you two going to be sharing a tent? Or...?"

"No!" Josh said quickly.

"What?" Sam asked innocently.

"You and him can share a tent," Donna said. "And Ainsley and I can share a tent."

"But..." Sam pouted.

"But what?" Donna asked.

"Nothing," Sam grumbled.

~~~

"Hey," Ainsley smiled when Sam came into her office. She watched as he walked over to her desk and leaned into it. "What's up?"

"Nothing... Donna and Josh are going camping with us this weekend."

"Okay," she said, grabbing a bag of potato chips out of her bottom desk drawer.

"Josh and I are going to share a tent."

"And me and Donna?"

"Actually, it'd be Donna and me, but yeah. You and Donna are sharing a tent."

"Sam?" Ainsley opened up the bag of chips.

"Yeah?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"Bite me."

"I'd rather bite one of those chips," he said, reaching his hand into the bag the second she got it open.

Ainsley watched him as he dug a handful of chips out. "Excuse you," she gave him a look.

"What?" he asked, popping a chip into his mouth.

"Did I say you could have some?"

"I didn't think you'd mind. I mean, it's not like you're obsessed with food or anything. Right?"

"Sam?" Ainsley said with her sweet southern accent.

"Get out?" Sam asked, as he stood up straight.

"Very good," she replied as she watched him turn around and walk out of her office.


	3. Great Outdoors, The 3

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Josh?" CJ asked, sitting behind her desk.

"Yeah?" Josh asked as he sat behind his own desk, their adjoining door open so they could talk freely to each other.

"I'm bored. Talk to me," she requested.

"About what?" he asked.

"I don't know... What are your plans for this weekend?" CJ asked as she hit the backup key on her keyboard.

"I'm going camping with Sam, Ainsley, and Donna."

"I thought you've tried nature and that it doesn't get along with you."

"I had nothing else to do," Josh answered, leaning back in his chair. "Besides, it's not like I hate nature like Toby does."

"You know," CJ stopped typing. "I like nature."

"Really?" Josh asked, knowing what CJ was doing. "I didn't know that." He propped his feet up on his desk and laced his fingers behind his head. "If you want to come, CJ. That's cool, I guess."

"Well thanks for the offer," she said sarcastically.

"Yeah. It's Sam's and Ainsley's thing. So you might want to run it by them first."

"Sam and Ainsley?"

"Yeah."

"You and Donna?"

"It's not a couple thing, CJ, so don't even go there. Besides, Donna and I have absolutely no interest in each other like that. We've got a big brother, little sister relationship."

"Still, wouldn't I upset the balance?"

"What balance?" Josh asked, taking his feet off his desk and sitting up.

"Two guys, two girls," CJ said. "If I go, then it'd be three girls, which would upset the balance."

"No it wouldn't."

"Yeah it would," CJ insisted. "So maybe..."

"Maybe you shouldn't come?" Josh asked.

"No, that's not what I was going to suggest," CJ said quickly.

"Then what were you going to suggest?"

"I was going to suggest that Toby come, too." CJ began typing again.

"Toby?" Josh got to his feet and quickly entered CJ's office.

"Yes, Joshua. Toby," she looked over at him as she continued to type.

"Yeah," Josh sat down on CJ's couch. "I can really see that one happening."

"You don't think he'd come?"

"He hates nature," Josh reminded her.

"Well, yeah..." CJ paused for effect. "But not for the reasons you think."

"Oh?" Josh looked at her with great interest and surprise.

"Yes," CJ looked at Josh.

"Why?"

"I won't answer that," CJ turned back to her computer.

"Why not?"

"Toby'd kill me."

"So whatever it is, it's something good," Josh mused himself, but CJ just ignored him. "How do you know what it is?"

"Toby told me."

"Why did he tell you?"

"Because we've been friends for a long time."

"Yeah," Josh's voice trailed off as he thought about what she said. "Exactly how long?"

"I'm trying to work here, Josh," CJ stopped typing and swung her chair around and propped her feet on her desktop.

"Yeah, that's why you told me to talk to you because you were bored." Josh retorted. "How long have you known him?"

"We met when I was a senior in college. Dated until I graduated. Then we decided that we were better as friends," CJ informed him. "We stayed in touch... from time to time over the years. And then he showed up one day at my house and he asked me to join the campaign."

"You two dated?" Josh was shocked.

"Yes. Now go back to work. I'm not bored anymore."

"You never said why Toby hates nature," Josh pointed out.

"Yes I know. And I don't intend to. So go back to work."

"But you have me very interested in you and Toby having dated," Josh interjected. After getting a look from CJ he said, "I'm going to go back to work. And I'll mention it to Sam that you and Toby will be joining us. But you get to tell Toby the news."

"Okay, Josh," CJ dropped her feet off of her desk and scooted her chair closer to it as she smiled at Josh. 


	4. Great Outdoors, The 4

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

"Hello," CJ entered Toby's office to find him just sitting at his desk, staring at his computer screen.

"Hi," Toby said, not really paying much attention, as he was reading whatever   
appeared on his screen.

"Toby?" CJ sat down on his couch.

"What?"

"I just thought it'd be nice to inform you that you have plans this weekend." 

This information drew Toby's attention away from the computer screen and onto CJ. "I do?"

"Yes," CJ nodded as she made herself more comfortable on his couch.

"And what are they?" Toby decided to muse himself by asking her.

"You are going camping-"

"No," Toby interrupted her.

"With Sam, Josh, Donna-"

"No." Toby said again, interrupting her a second time.

"Ainsley and myself," CJ finished as if she'd not been interrupted.

"No I'm not, CJ."

"Toby..." There was a slight hint of whining in her voice.

"I'm not going, CJ. I hate nature, you know that." He began to rub his left temple.

"Yes I do," CJ replied. "And I know why you hate nature. And I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is," CJ responded. "Had that happened to me, you'd tell me to just get over it."

"But it happened to me," Toby pointed out. "And I don't want to get over it. I hate nature and I'm not going."

"Then I'll tell the President that you've got no plans," CJ smiled sweetly. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind explaining to you the evolutional history of the... I don't know. Let's say, bear."

"Not funny, CJ."

"Actually, it is," she grinned.

"Get out. I'm trying to work. We are still on the taxpayer's dollar, you know."

"Yes, I know. But we're not for the weekend. And the fact that it's going to be a long weekend means that you have the time to go camping with us. Put your boy scouting experience to good use."

"CJ, I swear if you mention that again..."

"Come camping with us, Toby."

"Why?"

"So I won't upset the balance," CJ explained.

"Two guys, three girls. If I go, it'd be three guys three girls," Toby sighed.

"Exactly. Now say you'll come camping with us."

"I don't have the equipment, or the right clothing for such a trip," he pointed out.

"I'll go shopping for you. I'll even pay for it myself, Toby. Come on."

"When are you guys going?"

"I do believe we're leaving tonight, around seven."

"Seven?"

"Yeah. Apparently, since it's a long weekend and congress isn't in session and nothing big is going on except support for the one thing, Leo said we could all leave a little early if we wanted to."

"You're not going to leave me alone until I say yes, are you?"

"Don't you love that about me?" She smiled angelically.

"Fine, I'll go," Toby gave in, but choose not to answer her question.

"Yesss," CJ smirked.

"Now go away," Toby replied, as he turned his attention back to the computer screen and began to stare at it again.   



	5. Great Outdoors, The 5

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"What are you bringing?" CJ asked Donna as they sat in CJ's office chatting.

"Sam is bringing a tent for the guys, and I'm bringing one for the girls." Donna informed her.

"What about food?" CJ asked.

"You and Ainsley get to bring the food," Donna said as she sat further back into CJ's couch.

"Josh is bringing all of the other stuff? The gas grill and the cooking utensils and stuff?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded. "And Toby's bringing... the emergency equipment I believe. Flashlights. First aid kit. Radio. Stuff like that."

"Which means I have a lot of shopping to do," CJ said.

"What?"

"In order to get Toby to go, I had to agree to buy his supplies for him," CJ rubbed the back of her neck.

"You know, I'm rather curious as to how you got Toby to agree. I mean, everyone knows that he hates the outdoors."

"I used blackmail," CJ answered honestly, then paused. "What kind of tent is it you're bringing?"

"One of the easy setup ones," Donna replied.

"Good," CJ smiled.

"I've had it for a while," Donna explained. "I got it back when I was a girl scout."

"You were in the girl scouts?" CJ asked, as she picked her head up slightly to look at the blonde sitting next to her on her couch.

"Yes I was," Donna answered.

"So was I," CJ said with a grin.

"You think any of the guys were boy scouts?" Donna asked.

"I know Sam never was," she answered.

"And I don't think Josh was. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it," Donna said. "Toby... Nah, he hates the nature," Donna said after a pause. CJ showed no change in facial expressions to even hint to the fact that Donna was wrong.

"What kind of clothes are you bringing?" CJ asked. "Shorts or pants or what?"

"I'm bringing a mixture of both."

"Yeah, that probably is the smart thing to do. But you know the guys are going to complain... They'll say we packed too much."

"And when all they have are shorts and it's forty degrees outside, then we can rub it in their faces," Donna smiled sweetly and waved to Ainsley as the third woman entered the office.

CJ laughed, "This is going to be fun. I haven't been camping in a couple of years."

"I go camping at least once a year," Ainsley informed the two of them, now leaning against CJ's desk.

"Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I go home to North Carolina and my dad and I go camping. It's a tradition."

"That's great," Donna smiled.

"Yeah... My dad and I never did much of anything like that. And he's too old to start now," CJ said.

"My dad was always too busy," Donna responded.

"Yeah, I guess I'm lucky that way. My dad and I are really close," Ainsley said with a soft smile.

CJ and Donna both nodded, before CJ looked down at her watch. "Whoa, it's already five."

"Aren't we leaving work at five thirty?" Donna asked.

"Yes," Ainsley answered. "And then we're leaving for the camp site at seven."

"I guess we should get back to work then... For the little bit of time that we have left."

"Yeah," the two other ladies said in agreement.


	6. Great Outdoors, The 6

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

As Sam lifted the first tent into the back of the rented Chevy Suburban he said with a smile, "This is going to be fun."

"Being miles away from civilization with you?" Toby asked as he pushed the tent that Sam just loaded from the middle of the vehicle to the left side of it.

"Yes," Sam said as he watched with narrowed eyes. "It's going to be great. Camping, hiking, fishing. It's going to be great," he repeated as he lifted the second tent and put it in the middle of the vehicle, as he had done with the first one.

Again, Toby moved the tent, only this time he pushed it to the right side. "That has yet to be proven," he replied.

"I don't know," Josh watched with amusement as Toby rearranged the tents and Sam continued to give Toby a look. "I suppose it could be fun."

"I thought you didn't get along with nature," Toby responded as he moved the cooler Sam just loaded into the back of the Suburban.

"The last time I tried it, I didn't get along with it," he explained. "But I'm willing to give it another chance. Plus, I had nothing better to do."

"What happened the last time you 'tried' it?" Sam asked, as he picked up two sleeping bags and tossed them into the back.

"I plead the fifth," Josh also picked up two sleeping bags and tossed them into the back.

Toby growled at both of them and then neatly arranged them, before picking up the last two sleeping bags and placing them inside. "So whatever happened was because of your own stupidity?"

"I wouldn't put it like that," Josh pressed his lips together and raised one corner of his mouth.

"How would you put it?" Toby asked, picking up some random duffel bags and putting them neatly in the back to fit in with the rest of the items already packed.

"Let's just say that I don't get along with nature, okay?" Josh said defensively as he grabbed three duffel bags in his arms and threw them in the back, thus disrupting the order that Toby had created.

"Josh!" Toby growled at him.

"What?"

"You two do not know how to pack a vehicle, do you?" he snapped. "If you just randomly throw things into it, you will run out of room faster."

Josh took a step away from everything, "By all means," he gestured his hand, allowing Toby full access to it all.

Sam stood off to the side and watched them, "Why are you getting so defensive over the question at hand, Josh?"

"I thought we dropped that subject," Josh watched Toby finish loading up the rest of the duffel bags and other assorted things that were left to pack.

"Apparently we haven't," Sam smirked. "So why don't you get along with nature?"

"Fine," Josh sighed. "But if I tell you, this goes no further. You got that?" After Sam nodded slightly, Josh continued. "A few years back I went on a hike with some buddies of mine... Everything that could possibly happen to a person happened to me."

"Such as what?" Sam laughed as he watched Toby start to rearrange the things he just arranged in the back of the Suburban.

"Would you care to do this?" Toby asked Sam as he stepped aside.

"No, you're doing a fine job," Sam smirked, then turned to Josh to wait for his explanation.

"Such as everything, okay?"

"That really clears it up for us, Josh," Toby said as he finally got everything the way he liked it. He turned around and leaned onto the back bumper and looked over at Josh.

"It's as clear as it's going to become," Josh retorted. "Now how about you?" Josh tilted his head. "Why don't you like the outdoors?"

Toby stood up and began to shut the back doors to the Suburban as he avoided Josh's question when Ainsley came over to them with a few more things to be packed. Toby looked at her and growled, then opened the doors back up and stood back, wondering where these new additions could possibly go.

"Yeah," Sam smiled at Ainsley, who by now had turned around and walked back where she came from, never having spoken at all. "Why don't you like nature?"

"Because I don't," Toby answered. "And for the benefit of your own health, I suggest you drop it," he added as he moved a sleeping bag over and made room for the additions. He grinned happily as he made room for everything and then shut the doors.

"Whoa, it was just a question," Sam raised his hands up, a clear sign that he was backing down.

After a pause, Josh smiled, "We did a pretty good job packing everything up."

"Josh?" Toby asked.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."


	7. Great Outdoors, The 7

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Are we there yet?" Sam asked, sitting next to CJ in the very back seat of the Suburban. 

"No," Toby, the designated driver answered. 

"When are we going to get there?" Josh, who was sitting in the middle seat to the left of Ainsley asked. 

Donna, who was the navigator, and therefore was the one that got to sit in the front passenger seat turned around and looked at Josh and Sam, "I swear, you two are worse than the Simpson kids," she gave them a look as if they were both out of their minds.

"Either that," CJ jumped into the conversation. "Or that's where they learned their behavior from." She was giving Sam a look telling him that if he were to speak up once more before they got to the campsite, she'd smack him upside the head. 

"You guys aren't being that funny," Josh said in his and Sam's defense. 

"And neither are you," Toby retorted. "Now shut up. I'm trying to drive." 

"Trying being the operative word, right Toby?" Josh retorted. 

"Josh," Donna warned. 

"Donna," Josh said, mocking her. 

"How come Donna gets to be the navigator?" Sam asked, a little pout on his face. 

"Because no one here trusts you after your little La Guardia thing," CJ answered, temporarily having forgotten the urge to smack him. 

Ainsley turned around and looked at Sam, "La Guardia thing?" 

"He and Toby were in Connecticut, back when Mendoza was in jail for drunk driving. He was the navigator. Turns out he was using a shuttle from La Guardia to navigate them, instead of the northern star," Josh provided an explanation for Ainsley, gladly. 

Ainsley grinned and then turned back around in her seat and rested her head against the back of the chair. 

"Toby..." CJ smiled sweetly from the back of the big vehicle. "Exactly how much longer do you think it is going to be before we're there?" 

"Why do you get to ask, but we don't, CJ?" Josh asked, sounding like a little kid. 

"Where is all of the food?" Ainsley asked. 

"It's all in the back," Donna answered her, as she flipped down her vanity mirror and glanced at the people in the back. 

"Because I'm special," CJ said to Josh. 

"Sam," Ainsley said sweetly as she turned slightly in her seat. "Do you think you could grab me a snack?" 

"You just ate my entire bag of beef jerky that I had up here with me," Josh said looking at her. 

"Yes, but I'm hungry again." 

"No, I don't think I could reach anything. Not the way Toby packed it all, anyway." 

"Are you complaining about the way I packed? Because it's not exactly like you volunteered to pack everything up, Sam." 

Donna, tired of this conversation, turned her head to the right and looked out her window, "Look at the sunset," she said with great awe in her voice as she looked out at the deep purple and orange sky. 

"That's gorgeous." 

"That's one thing I've always loved about being down south," Ainsley spoke, looking out the window at the sky. "We always have the most beautiful sunsets." 

"You should see the ones in Southern California," CJ spoke with as she too looked out at the brilliantly colored sky. "They just seemed to go on forever. And the colors were all so..." her voice trailed off as she inhaled slowly, taking in the sunset before her. Sam nodded, agreeing with everything she said. 

Toby sat in the driver's seat, thankful that they'd all finally stopped bugging him about when they would get to the campsite, or the way he was driving, or how he had packed the vehicle. From time to time, he'd glance over to his right to look at the sunset they were all in awe over and smile, but he didn't say anything. 

"Up in Connecticut, the sunsets have a lot of pink and purple in them," Josh added to the conversation. "The shades of which were astounding." 

Donna glanced in her vanity mirror once more to see the four people in the back of the Chevy all staring out at the sunset to the right. She then turned her eyes to Toby and smiled sweetly. Toby looked back at Donna and gave her a very *very* grateful smile.


	8. Great Outdoors, The 8

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

"Sam," CJ nudged the sleeping man sitting next to her, trapping her in the very back seat of the Suburban. 

"Hmm?" Sam stirred slightly and reached a hand up to wipe the drool that was slowly going down his chin. 

"Sam," she nudged him again. 

"Yeah?" his voice was sleepy and gave no indication of whether or not he was still asleep or awake. 

"We're here," CJ said. 

"Okay," Sam turned in his seat and rested his head against the window. 

"Sam," CJ nudged him a third time. 

"Huh?" Sam asked, finally waking up and picking his head up. 

"We're here." 

"Right," Sam rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs out. 

"So you could get out now, so that I can get out now," CJ informed him. 

"Oh. Right. Sorry," he smiled tiredly and then slowly climbed out of the vehicle and did a full body stretch once he got out. When he finished stretching, he looked around at the landscape before him. It was perfect for camping. "Wow," he said in a soft and quiet voice. "This is beautiful." 

"Yeah," CJ climbed out of the Chevy Suburban and stood next to him. 

Sam took a deep breath and then looked around some more. The two tents had been pulled out from the bottom of the stack of things in the rear of the car and placed on the ground, waiting to be set up so that the rest of the items could be removed and set up. 

Josh stood over by the guys' tent and was looking down at it. He then looked over at Sam, "Hey, come help me put this up." 

"Yeah, okay," Sam yawned and then moved toward his friend. 

"CJ," Ainsley called the tall press secretary. 

"Yes?" CJ asked, walking over to Ainsley and Donna who both stood near the girls' tent. 

"Help us put this up," Donna spoke. 

"If you want, we'll put it up for you after we're done with ours," Josh said,   
taking the guys' tent out of the box it was kept in. 

"Oh gee. Would you?" Donna smiled in a sarcastic way. 

"We actually don't need your help," CJ said. 

"In fact," Donna continued. "When we're done with our tent, we'll help you." She smiled sweetly at him. 

"Are you trying to imply that we wouldn't know how to set a tent up?" Sam asked. 

"Yes, yes we are. Are you implying that because we are women, we do not know how to set a tent up?" 

"No," Sam said quickly. "He is, not me." 

"Thanks, Sam," Josh said in a sarcastic tone. 

"Anytime, man." 

"So is this a challenge then?" Josh asked all three women. 

"Challenge? No. That's no fun. We'll make it a bet," Donna grinned. 

"A bet?" 

"Yes. The fist one with the tent up..." Donna started. 

"Correctly," Ainsley added. 

"Will..." Donna paused. 

"The ones who loose the bet have to do the cooking tomorrow. And wash the dishes," CJ added with a smile. 

"Deal," Josh said. 

"Hey, where's Toby?" Sam asked. 

"Right here, Princeton," Toby said as he walked up behind Sam quietly. 

"God Toby," Sam spun around. "Don't do that to me." 

"What?" he asked. 

"Nothing. Help us with the tent," Sam narrowed his eyes at Toby. ~~~ "Oh boys," CJ called with a huge smirk on her face. 

"No. It goes over there," Sam said to Josh before answering CJ, "What?" 

"We're all done, how about you?" 

"What?!" Josh dropped his end of the pole that he and Sam were trying to make   
stand up. 

"Josh!" Toby hissed. 

"They're finished!" Josh said in surprise. "How can you have finished before us?" 

"We're women," Donna winked at Josh. 

"We know how to put a tent together," CJ finished. 

"Well," Toby looked at them. "Congratulations. You won that silly bet. Now get over here and help us with the tent." 

"What's the magic word, Toby?" 

"CJ," Toby gave her a look. 

"Okay, okay. Gee, some people. They just don't know how to have any fun," CJ stuck her tongue out at Toby before she joined Ainsley and Donna over at the guys' tent to help them set it up. And within minutes, it was up, correctly. 


	9. Great Outdoors, The 9

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Why am I sleeping by the door?" Josh asked as he spread his sleeping bag out, next to the one and only door of the guys' tent. 

"I don't know... You just are," Sam answered. 

"Because that's where you decided to put your sleeping bag," Toby pointed out. 

"Oh yeah," Josh grabbed his pillow and put it at the head of his sleeping bag. "But... In the morning, if you guys wake up before me, do not, under any circumstances step on me to get out." 

"Go to sleep Josh," Toby ordered as he crawled inside of his sleeping bag. 

"I mean it. If either of you step on me..." 

"Go to sleep Josh," Toby repeated. 

"I am, I am," Josh crawled in his sleeping bag. 

"No you're not," Sam pointed out. "You're giving us a speech about how we're not allowed to step on you in the morning." 

"You think I'm kidding about that, but I'm not," Josh looked at Sam. 

Toby sat up and looked at both Sam and Josh, "Will you two be quiet? It's late and I'd like to get some sleep." 

"Aren't we supposed to sit around a camp fire and tell ghost stories?" Josh asked. 

"We can do that tomorrow night," Sam said. 

"Ooh, and smores. We have to make smores." 

Toby grumbled and then lay back down, snuggling inside of his sleeping bag, trying to ignore the ramblings of the other two men. 

"Definitely," Sam grinned. 

"Yeah," Josh smiled and then snuggled into his sleeping bag and lay his head down on his pillow. Sam did the same thing.  
~~~  
"Sam?" Josh turned in his sleeping bag and looked at Sam. "Sam?" He repeated. "Are you awake?" 

"He's sleeping," Toby's very quiet voice said. 

"Toby?" 

"Yes." 

"What are you doing awake?" Josh asked. 

"Probably the same as you," Toby pointed out. 

"I couldn't sleep," Josh admitted. "I don't know why, but I just can't get to sleep. What about you? Is that why you're still awake?" 

"I guess." 

"You guess? You mean you don't know?" Josh asked, but Toby didn't answer. "Toby?" He asked after a pause. 

"What?" Toby asked, his voice still very quiet, on account of the third man who was actually sleeping. 

"Nothing," Josh said. 

"Okay," Toby shifted in his sleeping bag. 

"Toby?" Josh asked again, after a pause. 

"What?" 

"Last time I went camping, I ended up in the hospital," Josh admitted. 

"What happened?" Toby shifted again, so he could see Josh. 

"I tripped and tumbled down a cliff, after having been skunked and running out of water on a hike that ended up lasting all day long." 

"Oh," Toby said quietly. 

"Yeah," Josh paused. "See, I've tried nature... It just doesn't seem to like me very much." 

"So why did you come on this trip?" 

Josh was quiet for a long time, then finally answered the older man, "My psychologist... He told me I need to start doing things to get over my fears and such. And so when the opportunity arose, for reasons I will never understand, I decided to take it." 

Toby nodded, "That's some good advice." 

Josh exhaled in a quick puff, almost like a weak chuckle, "I guess," he ran his fingers through his hair and propped his head up. 

"I suppose you want to know why I don't like nature, now. Don't you?" 

Josh shrugged, "Only if you want to tell me." 

Toby nodded slowly, then shifted in his sleeping bag again. After thinking about the idea for a long time, he finally spoke up, "No... I don't think I do." 

"Okay," Josh carefully removed his hand from under his head and then turned to look out the nylon door. "The sun is starting to come out..." 

"Yeah," Toby agreed. 

"Yeah," Josh smiled weakly.


	10. Great Outdoors, The 10

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

Donna shifted in her sleeping bag. As the sun, which was just rising, started to shine into her eyes, she moved a hand up and covered her eyes. "Oy," she muttered as she shifted again.

"Donna?" a very soft and quiet voice asked.

"Yeah?" Donna asked, not sure who just called her name.  


"Are you awake?" CJ asked.

"Yeah," Donna answered.

"So am I," Ainsley said quietly.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Okay."

A silence fell over the three ladies who just discovered they were  
all awake. With the silence, they could hear the sounds of the birds chirping.

"You think any of the boys are awake yet?" Ainsley asked.

CJ shook her head, "Probably not."

Just then Donna jumped out of her sleeping bag a good two feet to her right, landing in Ainsley's lap. She could be heard whimpering slightly and she was obviously trying to surpress a scream from  
coming at the top of her lungs.  


"Donna?!" Ainsley said as she suddenly found someone sitting in her lap.

"There's something underneath the tent," Donna pointed to a small rounded figure that was indeed moving under the tent.

CJ sat up and looked at what Donna pointed to, then scooted away from it as well. "Okay," she said. "Eww."

"Donna, get off of me," Ainsley demanded. When Donna turned and faced Ainsley, she continued, "I would like to run out of this tent now, can you please get off of me?"

Donna nodded and slowly got off of Ainsley before going over to the door of the tent and unzipping it. Then she took off running into the wet morning grass.

CJ and Ainsley quickly followed suit, all three of them now having abandoned the tent.

When they all three met up at the same point a good ten or fifteen feet away from their tent, Donna asked, "What do you guys think that was?"

"It could have been anything," CJ said.

"A rat," Ainsley offered.

"A squirrel," Donna said.

"A skunk," CJ added.

"Can we switch tents with the guys?" Donna asked as she hugged herself and rubbed her forearms with her hands.

"Either that or move ours," CJ said.

"Hey," Toby and Josh both walked up to the three women who were standing in a circle talking. All three of them jumped and screamed.

"Don't do that!" they all three yelled as they turned to face Josh and Toby.

"What?" Toby asked.

"Don't sneak up on us," CJ hit Toby on the arm.

"What's gotten into you?" Josh asked.

"We've decided that we would like to switch tents," Ainsley said in a calm and collected manner.

"Why?" Josh asked, confused.

"Because," Donna defended.

"Okay..." both guys looked at the ladies in bewilderment.

"We saw something," CJ said, trying to explain.

"What?"

"We don't know," Ainsley answered.

"You saw something, you don't know what it is, but you want to switch tents because of it?" Toby asked, trying to make sense of everything.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Why?" Toby asked.

"Because what we saw scared us," Donna said.

"What was it you saw?" Josh asked. "Or think you saw."

"Something was moving underneath our tent," Ainsley explained.

Josh nodded and turned to face Toby. The two men started laughing immediately.

"It isn't funny!" Donna shrieked.

"Yes it is," Josh retorted.

"Go kill whatever is under our tent, Toby," CJ asked.

"Why me?"

"Why not you?"

Toby shook his head, "If we do this, will you girls calm down?"

"We?" Josh asked.

"Yes," CJ replied.

"Since when did I get dragged into this?" Josh continued.

Toby looked over at Josh, "Come on."

The two guys walked off towards the girls' tent, "Wait, how did I get involved? CJ asked you. Nothing was mentioned about me."

"I got you involved," Toby explained. "Now get in there," Toby stood, holding the nylon door of the tent up. "And see if you can see what they're talking about."

Josh gave Toby a look before muttering something and crawling into the tent. A minute later, he came out.

"Anything?" Toby asked.

"Nothing," Josh shook his head.

"There was something!" Donna insisted as the three women walked over.

"Well, it's gone now," Toby explained. "Now, you girls get to drop this silly... whatever it is. We're going to wake Sam up and start breakfast."


	11. Great Outdoors, The 11

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ  


"So," Sam said. He'd just finished washing the last of the utensils used to cook and eat breakfast and was now sitting down on a big log in front of the camp fire. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I was thinking we could take a nice long hike through the woods," Ainsley said. "Explore the land.

"That sounds like fun," CJ nodded.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"It could be, I guess," Donna added.

"A hike?" Josh asked.

"Sure," Ainsley responded. "Unless you can think of something else."

"A hike?" he repeated.

"You know, where you go out and walk in the wilderness," CJ said.

"I actually do know what a hike is," Josh retorted.

"Then let's go," Sam said.

"You guys go, I'll stay here and keep an eye on the camp site," Toby offered.

"Toby," CJ moved over to his side. "Nothing is going to get up and walk away. No one else is out here but us. Therefore you don't have  
to stay and watch it."  


"CJ..."

"It'll be fun, Toby!" Ainsley said.

"Yeah," Sam joined in.

"I don't want to go."

"If he gets to stay, so do I," Josh said.

"You're all going," CJ insisted.

"Who died and put you in charge?" Josh asked sarcastically.

"Josh," Donna moved to his side. "Go get ready for the hike," she ordered him.

Josh looked over at Donna and was about to say something to her, but then he realized he was outnumbered and the best thing he could do right then was to do as they said. So, he slowly walked over to the tent, muttering things the entire way.

"Now," Donna smiled and turned to Toby. "You go get ready too."

"Im not as easily persuaded as he is. Or scared," Toby retorted.

"Toby," CJ gave him a look. "Go get ready, or else."

Toby saw a familiar glint in her eyes and he immediately placed it. She wouldnt, he thought. But after a moment longer of looking at her he changed his mind and turned around for the tent muttering, "She would"

"Great," Ainsley said. "How about we all meet out here in say ten minutes? That should be enough time to get ready, right?"

"For us, maybe," Sam said.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Samuel?" Ainsley asked.

"Its just in my past experiences," he looked at the three women standing in front of him. "In my past experiences, in a situation like this I have found it best to just go get ready before I manage to say something completely stupid and possibly sexually demeaning." He stood there for a moment longer before pointing over his shoulder and turning around, going to the tent.


	12. Great Outdoors, The 12

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

"Hey, Sam." Ainsley walked up behind Sam as their hike came to an end and they were returning to the campsite.

"Hey, Ainsley," Sam smiled.

"Did you have fun on the hike?" She asked, sitting down next to him on the ground near the center of their campsite.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Especially the part where you and Donna took rocks and sticks and things like that that you found on the trail and threw them into the woods, pretending to be scared, as if it were snakes making the noises."

Ainsley laughed, "I liked the part of the hike where you saw a squirrel climbing up a tree and stopped everyone to say, and I quote, "look at the tree going up the squirrel."

Sam shot her a look, "Are you going to keep bringing that up?"

"You bet," she grinned.

"Uh, guys," Donna broke into the conversation. "Not to change the subject or anything... but, has anyone seen Josh?" Donna looked all around the campsite, but there was absolutely no signs of Josh anywhere at all.

"He was right behind me," Toby answered, turning around to find Josh not there. "Uh, Josh?"

"Okay, leave it to Josh to disappear on us," CJ muttered.

"What if he didn't just disappear, what if he's lost?" Donna asked.

"Josh?" CJ called out loud as she looked back at the trail they had just taken on their hike. "Josh?" she repeated, a hand up above her eyes, as she looked far off into the distance.

"When is the last time anyone saw him?" Sam asked, taking Ainsley's canteen and drinking from it.

Ainsley slapped Sam and stole the canteen away from him, "He was in front of me when we stopped to see the deer."

"What about when we saw the tree going up the squirrel?" CJ asked.

"Okay. Not even funny, CJ," Sam responded quickly.

"I thought it was," CJ grinned.

Donna shook her head, "Now that you mention it, I don't think he was with us anymore at that point."

"We should split up and go look for him," Toby said.

"Good idea," Donna ran a hand through her hair.

"I'll stay here in case he comes back," Sam offered.

CJ nodded, "Donna and I will go this way and look for him," she pointed to where they had started their hike.

"I guess Toby and I will go this way, then," Ainsley said, standing up and pointing to the spot in the woods where the trail they had taken came to an end.

"Hey," Sam stood up.

"What?"

"I brought some walkie talkie's with me... They have like a two mile range. There's four of them..."

"Where are they?" Donna asked.

"Right over here in my bag," Sam moved over to the guys' tent and went inside. A moment later, he returned with three walkie talkie's in his hands. He handed one to CJ, one to Toby and kept one for himself.

"So whoever finds him, inform the rest of us with the radio."

"Right," CJ said, then picked up a canteen full of cold water from a blue cooler. "See you guys later," she said as she and Donna began to walk towards the start of the hike.

Ainsley then turned to Toby, "Let me just grab my canteen."

Toby nodded and then reached down for his baseball cap. After putting it snuggly onto the top of his head Ainsley was standing in front of him, ready to go. 


	13. Great Outdoors, The 13

 

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

"Hello?" Josh asked as he kicked up some dirt on the path he was walking on. "Can anyone hear me?"

Josh untwisted the cap from his canteen and lifted it up to his mouth. With a disappointed frown, he held the object away from him and tipped it upside down... It was empty.

He sighed, "Hello? Is anyone there? Can anyone here me?" he shouted as loud as he could.

When he got no answer, he sighed again and then found a rock to sit down on. "Just great, Lyman," he berated himself. "You just had to stop to tie your shoe and not pay attention to which direction everyone else was going."

He picked up a rock off of the ground and threw it into the woods. "Hello?!" he shouted again. Once again, there was no answer. He picked up a handful of small rocks and held them in his hand, throwing them one by one, out into the woods.

"This is going to be one long camping trip..." he muttered.

With another sigh, he stood up and looked around. "If I just go back the way I came..." he ran his fingers through his hair. "Then I should end up the camp, right? But which way did I come?" Josh asked himself as he looked down at the cluster of footprints he'd left as he had been pacing back and forth.

"This is hopeless!" He yelled in complete frustration.

"Josh?!" Donna yelled, having heard him yell.

"Donna?! Where are you?!"

"Josh," CJ said. "Keep talking. Let us find you."

"Okay," Josh said in a loud voice. He stopped for a moment to think of something to say. After a long pause, he couldn't come up with anything. "Uh... Four score and seven years ago-"

"Anything but that," Donna shouted to him.

Josh quickly recovered, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for a common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty-"

"To ourselves and our prosperity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America," Ainsley finished for Josh as she and Toby walked over to where Josh was from one side at the same time that Donna and CJ approached Josh from the other side.

"Was that the best you could think of?" Toby asked Josh.

"Well, I was going to say the pledge of allegiance, but then I decided that that would sound too... first grade."

"You couldn't come up with anything original?"

"Not on the spot like that, no," he retorted, a thankful smile on his face that his friends found him.

Donna stood there, looking Josh up and down, making sure that he was okay. "Where's the broken leg?" She asked.

"What broken leg?" Josh asked, confused.

"I thought maybe that was why you got separated from us. You broke your leg and couldn't move."

"No... I stopped to tie my shoe and then looked up and everyone was gone. I ran ahead, but I must have gone the wrong way. Then I had no clue which way the camp was, or what direction I came from..."

"Let me guess," Ainsley said as she handed Josh her canteen. Or rather, Josh took it from her. "You weren't lost. You just didn't know where you were. Right?"

Josh took a nice long drink from her canteen. He lowered the canteen and then wiped his mouth, "No, I was lost."

"And you're admitting this?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "Are you implying that because I am a guy I would necessarily have a problem admitting when I'm lost?"

"Well you implied that we wouldn't be able to get our tents up last night because we were women."

"You had the easy set up kind," Josh retorted. "All the poles were already connected with that string thing. All you had to do was connect them. We have a real tent that isn't like that."

"And you also made us eggs, bacon, and toast this morning," Donna grinned.

"Which reminds me," Ainsley said. "I'm hungry."

"How do you eat so much and yet never gain a pound?" CJ asked, giving the woman to her right a look.

"I don't know..." Ainsley answered.

"Speaking of food," Toby growled. "Are you girls really going to hold us to that bet?"

"Yes," Donna nodded. "But, we may make an exception for you, Toby."

"What?! Why him?" Josh asked.

"Thank you," Toby smirked.

"Because he was never apart of the bet. You included him and Sam after you and Sam made those stupid comments."

"That's right," Toby said as he saw the campsite in the not far distance.

"That is so not fair," Josh whined.

"That's life," Donna grinned, sticking her tongue out at Josh.


	14. Great Outdoors, The 14

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

Ainsley sat back, relaxing against a log lying right behind her, and said "Tonight's really beautiful."

"Yeah," Sam replied, watching how the glow of the campfire illuminated Ainsley's figure.

Holding a stick out above the fire with a marshmellow stuck on the end of it, Josh looked around, "So who knows any good ghost stories?"

"Not me," Donna answered.

"Nope," CJ answered.

"I can't remember any of them well enough, to be able to repeat them," Ainsley reported sadly.

"I know one," Sam said. "The one that Mark Twain wrote."

"The Golden Arm?" Toby asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered, giving Toby a questioning look.

"I've read Clemens before," he said upon looking at Sam's facial features.

"And I've heard that one before," Ainsley replied.

"I haven't," Josh and Donna said at the same time.

"It's a really good story," Sam insisted. "Even if you have heard it before."

"The golden arm?" Donna asked.

"Yeah. So do you guys want me to tell it?"

"Sure," Josh said, echoed by most everyone else. 

"Okay," Sam said as he watched everyone around the camp fire scoot a little closer and become quiet so that he could begin.

"Once upon a time there was a monstrous mean man that lived way out in the prairie all alone by himself, except he had a wife. She died, one day, so he tucked and toted her body all the way out in the prairie and buried her. Only, she had a golden arm -- all solid gold, from the shoulder down. This man, he was powerfully mean -- powerful; and that night he couldn't sleep, because he wanted that golden arm so bad."

By this point in the story, almost everyone was engrossed in the story, but no one more than Donna, it seemed. She was sitting on the ground with her knees bent up to her chest and she was holding them in. Her chin was resting on top of one of her knees as she intently listened to Sam.

"When it was midnight he couldn't stand it any more, so he got up, and took his lantern and shoved out through the storm. He dug up her body and got the golden arm. Then he bent his head down against the wind, and plowed and plowed and plowed through the snow. Then all of a sudden he stopped." Sam paused for a long time, his facial expression suggesting he was startled as he seemed to be listening. He then continued, "And he said: 'My God, what's that?'

Ainsley, although she'd heard the story before, started to let it get to her, as she began to look around and try to remind herself that it was just a story. It *was* just a story, right?

"He listened and listened to the wind and heard it say, 'Bzzz-z-zzz.'  Then on the other side of the grave, he heard a voice that was all mixed up in the wind. He could hardly tell them apart, 'Bzzz-zzz -- W-h-o -- g-o-t -- m-y -- g-o-l-d-e-n -- arm? -- zzz -- zzz -- W-h-o g-o-t m-y g-o-l-d-e-n arm?'" Sam was shivering violently as he told the story.

"He began to shiver and shake, and said, 'Oh, my! Oh, my God!' The wind was blowing the lantern and the snow and sleet was blowing in his face and he almost choked. He started plowing, knee-deep toward his home. He was so scared, and then he heard the voice again," Sam paused again. "It was coming after him! 'Bzzz -- zzz -- zzz -- W-h-o -- g-o-t -- m-y g-o-l-d-e-n -- arm?'"

Sam looked out at his friends and coworkers. Donna was still sitting her arms wrapped around her legs. Josh was sitting on the log behind her and slight to the left, leaning in, his elbows on his legs, his face in his hands as he tentatively listened to Sam. Ainsley was sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs as well, only she didn't look as terrified as Donna did. CJ sat next to Toby and her head was tilted to the side so she could watch Sam as he was so completely into the story he was telling. Toby seemed to be not interested at all, as he just sat there, his legs stretched out in front of him, his arm leaning on top of a log, propping him up.

"When he got to the pasture he heard it again -- closer now. It came closer and closer to him through the dark stormy night." Sam made windy noises. "When he got to the house he rushed upstairs and jumped in the bed. He laid there shivering, the covers up to his head, and he just kept shaking. Then, way outside, he heard it again! It was coming closer and closer. Then he heard," Sam paused once again and pretended to be listening to something. "-- pat -- pat -- pat -- It was coming up the stairs! Then he heard the latch, and he knew it was in the room!

"Then pretty soon, he knew it was standing by the bed!" Sam paused. "Then, it was bending down, over him and he was barely able to breathe, he was so scared. Then, he felt something cold against his head!"

After another pause he started again, "Then the voice said right into his ear 'W-h-o -- g-o-t -- m-y -- g-o-l-d-e-n arm?'" He wailed it out very plaintively and accusingly, then paused. Sam looked around the camp fire at each person, before he stopped his eyes on Donna. When a hush covered the air, he jumped suddenly at Donna and yelled, 'You've got it!'"

Donna screamed as loud as she could, as she flew a good foot to her right in an attempt to get away from Sam. Her hands flew up and covered her mouth as she stood there shaking. Donna wasn't alone, though, in the group of people who screamed. Ainsley also let out a rather loud scream, as did Josh and CJ. Toby and Sam seemed to be the only two not screaming.

"Donna," Josh said, taking a step towards the blonde who was obviously disturbed.

Donna cowered away from Sam and then found Josh to hide behind. She dug her nails into his arms and positioned Josh in between Sam and herself.

"Ahh," Josh cried out when she dug her nails into him. "Donna, easy. It's just Sam..."

Donna took a few deep breaths, followed by more and more of them. After a good bit of time, she finally found herself beginning to calm down.

Hesitantly, she stepped out from behind Josh and blushed. "Don't ever do that to me again, Sam!" She yelled at him and smacked his arm.

He jumped back to try and avoid being hit, but wasn't successful, "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "That's the way the story goes, though..."

"I don't care Samuel. I am so going to get you back for this, you just wait and see!" Donna huffed and then stomped off towards the female tent.

Sam put his hands in his pockets and looked at Josh, "So, should I be frightened by her warning?"

"Oh yeah," Josh nodded.


	15. Great Outdoors, The 15

 

The Great Outdoors   
by AJ 

 

Feeling very bad about having scared Donna the night before and being even more afraid of how she would make him pay for that, Sam stood in front of her, "Donna, would you like my left over bacon?" He asked, holding his paper plate out to her.

Donna looked up at Sam and smiled her sweet usual smile, giving no indication of what happened last night, yet still sending chills down Sam's spine. "No thank you, Samuel." She said, having taken to calling him by his full first name.

"I'll take that," Josh said before Ainsley could. 

"Are you sure that you don't want it Donna?" Sam made another attempt.

"I'm sure," She smiled.

"Okay," Sam said slowly as he returned to his seat.

"I'll take that bacon for you," Josh said, reaching a hand over to Sam's plate.

Sam stopped Josh's hand and pushed it away before he ate his own bacon.

CJ stretched out, closest to the campfire, "So what are we going to do today?"

"No hiking!" Josh responded very quickly.

"Oh Josh," Ainsley looked at him. "Are you going to let one tiny thing ruin the possibility of anymore hikes?"

"Yes!" He turned his head to her and gave her a look that said he was being serious.

"I'm with him on this one," Toby spoke up.

"Yeah, you would be a party pooper," CJ retorted, not at all shocked by his words.

Toby shook his head and decided if no one else, he would be the adult in the group and not resort to such childish behavior.

"We could just relax," Sam finally spoke after a long moment of silence. "I mean, we're leaving tomorrow afternoon, so we could just chill out today. Maybe split into groups, and to each their own."

"You know, I hate to admit it, but he makes a lot of sense," CJ responded first.

"As long as I don't have to go for a hike," Josh said. "Then we are fine."

"Actually, Josh. I brought some fishing poles..."

"Yeah?" Josh turned to Sam.

"Yeah. There's that lake right down there," he pointed off in the distance.

"Sounds like fun," Josh smiled and turned to Toby. "You want to join us?"

"No," Toby shook his head. "I brought a book up with me... I'm going to stay here and read it."

"Suit yourself," Josh replied.

"So, Donna. Ainsley. What should we do?"

"Actually," Ainsley spoke up. "I think I'd like to go fishing with the guys."

CJ was about to say something when she saw Donna who had been unusually quiet stand and walk off. After a brief moment, she stood and followed her, leaving Sam who began to talk yet again about how guilty he felt.

"Donna," CJ called after her. "Donna." She repeated. 

Donna seemed to ignore CJ as she just kept walking. When she knew they were no longer in sight from the camp, she stopped and turned to face the person that followed her.

"I'm fine, CJ."

"Donna?" CJ asked, not really sure she should believe her.

"Honest. I'm fine. I'm trying to guilt Sam," She explained, a smile on her face.

CJ nodded, "Well, I think it's working."

"Yeah," Donna agreed. "But somehow, I don't feel that it's enough."

The two started walking again towards the lake. "I know what you mean."

"Yeah... do you have any ideas?" Donna asked.

"You could always resort to putting some kind of... thing in his sleeping bag. Like a frog or a lizard or something."

"That's too easy."

"You could... put stuff in his shoes."

"Too juvenile."

"Well... I don't know th-" CJ's words were cut off by the sound of her screaming as she fell down into the water.


	16. Great Outdoors, The 16

 

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"CJ!" Donna called as she looked down into the water.

CJ emerged not long after being submerged. She was no longer screaming, mainly because she had just been under the water, and didn't want a mouthful of water.

"CJ," Donna said again, moving as close to the water as she could get without actually going in as well. Donna then offered her hand to CJ. "Here. Let me help you out."

CJ looked up at her and then took the extended hand, using  
Donna's help to climb out.

Once out, CJ began to mutter, "Without fail," She wrapped her arms around herself. "Every time I go near water, I always fall, or get pushed, in!"

"I'm sorry," Donna said for lack of anything else.

CJ shivered and sighed, "It's not your fault."

Donna nodded, "Why don't we go back to the camp?"

"Yeah..." CJ turned to face her. "One word as to what exactly  
happened-"

"Don't worry," Donna cut her off.

CJ smiled, "Thanks."

Donna shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Really."

"What happened to you?" Josh asked, he and Sam walking towards them.

"Nothing," she said dryly.

"How'd you get all wet, CJ?"

"I went swimming," she retorted.

"You should have told us," Josh smirked. "We would have gone with you."

"Josh?"

"Yeah?" Josh asked before getting *the* look and clamping his mouth shut.

"Okay," Sam said, about to try to lighten the mood. He then got a look from Donna and quickly clamped his own mouth shut.

CJ and Donna then looked at each other and both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Communicating through their eyes, they counted to three before CJ pushed Josh, and Donna pushed Sam, into the lake.

Donna grinned, ignoring their yelps, and turned to CJ, her grin now a smirk, "Do you feel better?"

"Oh yeah," she replied as the two turned around and walked back to the camp, leaving Josh and Sam in the lake.

Upon returning to the camp, CJ ignored both Toby and Ainsley and proceeded directly to the girls' tent where she got changed into some dry clothes.

Donna, on the other hand, moved over to her own personal stash of goodies and had a victory soda.

Toby and Ainsley looked at each other, "I don't even want to know. What about you?" Ainsley asked.

"I know I don't want to know. But I do know that that, in and of itself, will not prevent us from finding out."

The pretty blonde nodded, "Yeah."

As if on cue, Josh and Sam, both dripping wet, walked back to the campsite.

"Um, Sam?" Ainsley smiled sweetly.

"Yes?" Sam asked, looking over at her.

"Why are you two all wet?"

"We went swimming," Josh answered dryly as he saw CJ come out of the tent.

"Don't you think you should have put some swimming trunks on or something?" Toby asked.

"Well, if it wasn't for CJ *pushing* me in!!"

"Oh, relax, Josh. It's just water. It will dry."

Josh rolled his eyes and then disappeared into the guys' tent to  
get changed into dry clothes.

Looking over at Donna, who looked mighty proud of herself, drinking her soda, Sam asked, "So we're even?"

"Even?" Donna asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm going to take that as a no," Sam said.

Donna nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

"Right," Sam nodded before moving to the guys' tent and waiting for Josh to come out so he could get changed as well.


	17. Great Outdoors, The 17

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"This is nice," Sam said sitting at the edge of the dock, fishing pole in hand.

"Yeah," Josh was laying down on the dock next to Sam, having fixed his pole so he did not have to hold it. "This is pretty nice..."

"So you think I'm out of the woods yet?" Sam asked.

Josh raised an eyebrow and looked at Sam, "No I don't. None of us are... Not until tomorrow, Sam."

"No. Josh. I didn't- I meant with Donna. Do you think I'm out of the woods with her yet?"

"I don't know, man. Donna's... well, she's Donna."

"And she's good at holding a grudge?"

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah," Sam fixed his pole like Josh's so he didn't have to hold it either. Leaning back on his hands, he said, "You know, it's not like I did anything really bad. It was a ghost story. People get scared."

"You obviously know nothing about Donnatella Moss if you think any of that actually matters."

Sam nodded his head slowly, "You know what?"

"What's that?"

"You don't know anything about Cathy either."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, looking over at Sam.

"That time `trick' thing she did... It was all fake."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I heard Ginger and Bonnie talking about it. Ginger had just told Cathy what time it was, that's how she knew."

"Cathy played with me?"

"Oh, she played you like a fool."

"That's not very nice of her."

"Neither is eating my donuts," Sam shrugged. "But you learn to live."

"I don't kno... I think I owe it to her to play a trick on her... get even."

"This could be dangerous," Sam muttered.

"I don't know what, yet. But rest assured, I will do something."

Ainsley, who had been fishing a few feet away from both of them, just barely out of ear range, stood up and moved over to them. "You boys caught anything yet?"

Both Josh and Sam looked up at her and watched her sit down and look over at their poles that were both rigged so they didn't have to hold them.

"I haven't," Josh answered. "But nature boy did."

"Really?" Ainsley grinned and looked over at Sam.

"Yeah," Josh continued. "Hey Sam. Why don't you show her what you caught?"

Sam's face began to turn red, "I didn't catch anything."

"Don't be so modest, Sam." Josh smirked. "Go on. Show her your *big* catch."

Sam gave Josh a look and then reached to his side and picked up a wet hat.

Ainsley tried to hold her laughter back, "You caught a hat, Sam?"

"Yes."

"A hat?"

"Yes."

"I really wish I had my cell phone right now," She laughed. "Dad would get such a kick out of this."

Sam rolled his eyes, "So where is your big catch?"

"Over there," She pointed to a bucket they brought with them.

"Serious, you caught something?" Josh asked.

"About five or six somethings. Fish somethings, not hats."

Josh quickly got to his feet and moved over to the bucket to see five good-sized fish. "How in the world were you able to catch five fish and all we got is a hat?"

"We?" Sam asked, suddenly proud of his hat.

"I was a girl scout," Ainsley placed a hand on Josh's chest and gave it a quick pat as she smirked.

"We?" Sam asked again.

"Yes, we," Josh said.

"Just a minute ago, it was *my* big catch. Now it's *ours*?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Beats me," Josh answered.


	18. Great Outdoors, The 18

The Great Outdoors

By AJ

"CJ." Donna exclaimed as she walked up to the taller woman.

CJ looked up from where she was sitting outside the tent and blinked. "Yeah, Donna?" She asked.

"Let's go for a walk." Donna insisted.

CJ frowned and looked around before looking back at Donna. "Why?" She asked.

Donna sighed. "Because I want to walk. I want to stretch my legs. Smell the roses and such." She explained. "I would have done it yesterday but the boys were being way too loud out there on the trail."

"You mean Sam and Josh were." Toby called from his fold-up chair by the guy's tent.

"Yeah, whatever." Donna called back. "Come on, CJ. We can go explore. You wanna come?"

"Sure." CJ consented. "Just let me go get my shoes."

Donna nodded and then sat down on a log. Josh, Sam and Ainsley were still fishing. Donna could only chuckle at the thought of the possibilities. Toby raised an eyebrow at her and then went back to reading "The Worst Case Scenario Survivor's Handbook". CJ returned and soon the two women were on their way.

"See, now this is a good reason to be out here. Nature, wildlife, all sorts of things to connect with." Donna exclaimed.

CJ frowned. "I think nature just connected with me. There's a rock in my shoe." She said with a wince.

Donna smirked and waited as CJ took off her shoe and searched for the rock. Donna glanced back the way they came and frowned. "Okay, I swear I just saw a bear." She exclaimed.

CJ threw the rock away and put her shoe back on. "There are no bears around here, I think."

Donna shook her head. "I am pretty sure that I saw a bear." She exclaimed.

"Oh, it wasn't a bear." CJ said.

"Then what was it?" Donna countered.

"I don't know, but it wasn't a bear." CJ retorted as they both headed back down the path towards the campsite.

"Yes, it was." Donna insisted. "I know a bear when I--" Donna stopped, and so did CJ at the sight they saw.

"Ok, so maybe you were right." CJ said as she gazed at the bear that was slowly forcing Toby against a tree.

"Okay, Toby, don't move!" Donna called.

"Why not? She's coming after me!" Toby snapped. "She's not a t-rex, Donna. It's not like she only detects movement."

"You're moving. Just stay still or he'll get you!" Donna called.

"She'll "get" me? What is this, third grade? Help!" Toby snapped.

"Do you have any food on you? That's probably what he wants." CJ called.

Toby shook his head and pointed at the food that was next to the burnt out campfire. "It's all over there." He said, keeping his gaze on the bear, never looking away.

"So give it to him!" Donna said.

"It's *OVER THERE*!" Toby emphasized loudly. The bear growled. Toby winced and jumped backwards.

"Fine." Donna exclaimed as she tried to think. "Okay, I'm gonna try this."

"Are you nuts?" CJ asked.

"Funny, Josh asks me that all the time." Donna retorted as she slowly moved around the bear towards the food. "CJ, make a distraction."

"You are nuts. I'm not going to--" CJ started.

"CJ, do you want to see this bear eviscerate me in front of you?" Toby yelled. CJ thought about it. "CJ!"

"Okay! Okay! What do I do?" She asked.

"Make a lot of noise!" Donna suggested as she reached the food.

"Do something!!" Toby screeched.

CJ sighed and looked around. Then she grabbed two sticks and began to bang them together. The bear glanced at her, then at Toby and then finally at Donna.

"Uh, it doesn't seem to be working." CJ murmured. Suddenly the bear turned and began moving towards her. "Uh, Donna! Toby!"

"I'm working on it." Donna called and threw some food at the bear.

He turned to eat the food and then followed the trail that she formed, throwing food into the woods. When it was all gone, so was the bear.

Toby let out a loud sigh and collapsed against the tree. CJ fell where she stood and so did Donna.

Josh, Sam and Ainsley came trudging in from the woods and found them that way.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "So, anything interesting happen while we were gone?"


	19. Great Outdoors, The 19

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"You guys are joking right?" Sam tilted his head to the side when Donna, CJ, and Toby told their story about the bear.

"Does it sound like we're kidding?" Toby snapped.

Josh gave Toby a look that clearly said he didn`t believe them. "A bear?" He asked.

"Yes!" Toby raised his voice slightly. "And she was going to eat me."

"It was a he, Toby," CJ interjected.

"You sounded just like Pumba on The Lion King," Josh remarked to Toby.

Sam smiled and looked at CJ. "How do you know it was a boy bear?"

Donna looked over at Josh with more than a little amusement written on her face. "The Lion King?" She asked with a raised brow.

CJ gave Sam a look, "I just do, okay?"

"It's a good movie!" Josh said in his own defense.

"Yeah, if you're five," Toby said to Josh before Donna could.

"What," Sam asked with a smirk. "Where were you-"

"Sam!" CJ turned and back slapped the back of his head.

"Owe," he rubbed his head. "Why did you hit me?"

"I'm not feeling the love," Josh remarked.

"Because," CJ smiled angelically. "I didn't like what you were about to say."

"How do you know what I was about to say?"

"So guess what Sam caught," Ainsley said, purposely changing the subject.

Sam turned his head to Ainsley in one fast movement. "Ainsley," he said, his face turning a bright shade of red.

"What'd he catch?" Donna asked.

"Okay, I think it is important for you to know that this was Sam's catch, and Sam's alone," Josh said.

Sam turned his head again and looked at Josh, "Just two seconds ago, it was our catch."

"Yeah, and just two seconds ago you said it wasn't. That it was all yours."

Ainsley proudly held up the old hat that Sam caught, "This was his, or their, or whomever's big catch of the day," she said with a smirk.

CJ, Donna, and Toby all started to laugh. "You caught a hat?" Toby asked.

"Toby," Sam groaned.

"You caught a hat?" CJ was barely able to ask over her laughter.

Donna covered her mouth as she laughed, "It's... it's lovely," she bit her lip to try and stop but it did no good.

Sam reached over to Ainsley and grabbed the hat from her hands, "Thank you very much," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, cheer up Sam," she was about to start laughing herself. "At least you'll have one really great fishing story to tell to your grandchildren." She finally burst out laughing.

"Yeah," Toby jumped back into the conversation. "I'll even get that hat bronzed for you."

"Okay, this is so not even funny," Sam gave them all a look.

"Ooh!" Donna squealed. "We can put some fishing lures and things like that into it!"

CJ laughed, "And put it on a big plaque saying, `the big one'."

"You just have your fun now," Sam rolled his eyes at everyone.

"And we will," CJ grinned and laughed.


	20. Great Outdoors, The 20

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

Ainsley smiled as she watched Josh come out of the tent the next morning and stretch with a slight growl to his voice. "Morning." She said quietly.

"Good morning," Josh said, before letting out one more growl before sitting down.

"Have a nice sleep?"

"Actually, yes," Josh smiled. "I think I'm finally getting used to sleeping on the ground."

"Well," Ainsley smirked. "Just in time, too. Seeing as how we're leaving today."

Josh chuckled a little, "Yeah... So where is everyone?"

"Donna and CJ are by the lake, washing some things in the water. Toby is `supervising' them. And Sam is still sleeping."

Josh looked at Ainsley in confusion, "No he isn't."

"He isn't?" Ainsley furrowed her eyebrows.

"No... I was just in there, and no one else is in there."

"I wonder where he is..." Ainsley began to look around.

Josh yawned, "I'll go ask Toby, Donna and CJ if they know where he is."

"Who?" CJ asked, appearing at the campsite just then.

"Sam..." Ainsley and Josh both said.

"He went to get something from the woods."

"Oh?" Ainsley asked, half relieved, half curious.

"Yeah. He wouldn't tell us what. But he said he'd be right back."

"How long ago was that?"

"Um," CJ thought about it. "Maybe thirty minutes ago." She picked up one of the coolers. "I'm going to go wash this..."

"Okay," Josh said, no longer paying attention to what she said. "I'm going to go look for him," Josh said to Ainsley, as CJ was now no longer there.

"Josh."

"What?"

"You got lost the other day. What makes you think you'll be able to go in there and find him?"

"Ha. Ha. Funny, Ainsley."

"I'm being serious, Josh."

"Serious about what?" Came a third voice, belonging to none other than Sam.

Josh turned and gripped Sam's shoulder. "Sam."

"What?"

"Don't do that again."

Sam smirked, "You bet. So what are you serious about, Ainsley?"

"Josh thought you were lost. He was going to go look for you..."

"But Josh got lost the other day..."

"Exactly my point," Ainsley said.

Josh cleared his throat, "You know, I *am* standing here. You two don't have to talk as if I'm not."

Sam smirked and looked at Josh, "Why, do you feel ignored?"

"Absolutely," he answered immediately.

"Eh, well. You'll get over it." Sam said and then walked to the tent. "When are we leaving, do either of you know?"

"Well, the other three are washing the cooler and other stuff..." Ainsley answered. "And I'm pretty sure that they are all packed up as well."

"Okay," Sam went into the tent and packed his things up quickly, just shoving his things into his duffle bag that he brought with him.

"I'm already packed too," Josh said, just in case either one of them cared.

Ainsley yawned and stood up. "I guess then, that I could pack my stuff up as well." She moved into the girls' tent and neatly packed her things up.

"Okay," Sam said, as he came out of the guys' tent holding his duffle bag and Josh's. He set them down on the ground and then went back for Toby's bag. Once he made sure the inside was empty he looked to Josh, "Help me take this down."

"It took us long enough to figure out how to put it up... And now you want to take it down?"

"We're not leaving it here, Josh," Sam gave him a look. "So help me take it down."

"Fine," Josh moved over and gave the assistance that was asked for.


	21. Great Outdoors, The 21

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Admit it Toby," CJ said as she, Toby, and Donna walked back to the campsite. "Despite the bear and the nature part, you had fun on this camping trip."

"No I didn't," he monotoned.

"Yes you did, Toby. I know you did."

Toby looked over at CJ and made a strange face, "CJ, this is me. I hate nature. What the hell would give you the idea that I actually enjoyed this trip?"

"You have a smile on your face," CJ answered and then set the cooler she was holding down next to everyone's duffle bags. "Hey, you guys got the tents down and everything. Cool."

"Yeah," Ainsley said. "And we were just about to start packing the suburban up."

Toby looked over at Josh and Sam, "You two were going to pack?"

"Yes," Sam answered. "Unless you want to..."

"No, that's okay. I'm rather interested in seeing how you would pack this stuff up. Seeing as how you both made fun of how I packed everything to come here."

"You had to know he'd use that against us," Josh muttered.

"Yeah," Sam smiled weakly. "So who has the keys?"

"Toby should," Donna answered.

Toby shook his head, "I don't."

"What?" Ainsley asked.

"I don't have the keys. I gave them to CJ on Saturday night..."

"And I gave them to you, Donna, yesterday morning."

"Donna, what did you do with the keys?" Josh asked, standing right in front of her.

"Um," she thought about it. "I don't remember ever having the keys."

"Yesterday," CJ said. "You said you were bored and you wanted to listen to the radio. So I gave you the keys and you went in the car and listened to the radio."

Donna shook her head, "I didn't."

"Yes you did." CJ insisted.

"Wait..." Donna closed her eyes. "I remember being bored, and saying I was going to listen to the radio... But then I heard something... And that sidetracked me."

"What did you do with the keys, Donna?"

"I, um... I think I left them in the suburban..."

"What?!" Sam shouted. "I locked the suburban last night before we all went to bed..."

Toby groaned, "Princeton, did you lock the keys in the suburban?"

"If I did, it's her fault," He pointed to Donna before going over to the vehicle and peering into the window.

Josh did the same as Sam did, "Well, good news and bad news," he said.

"What's the bad news?" CJ asked.

"The keys are definitely locked inside."

"And the good news?" Ainsley asked this time.

"Well, the window is slightly cracked..."

"Can you stick your hand in there?"

Josh held his hand up to the window that was slightly ajar. "Um, that would be a no."

Toby sighed, "Well, how big is the crack?" He asked as he walked over there. "Could someone with smaller hands maybe get their hand through?"

"Nope," Josh looked at Toby. "I seriously doubt it."

"Great, so what are we going to do?" Ainsley asked.

"I've got it!" Donna exclaimed.

"Donna, no one wants to hear what you have to say. After all, you are the reason we're locked out."

"But," She protested, giving Josh a look for having just said that.

"No buts."

"But I think I know how to unlock it..."

"How?" Sam asked, cutting Josh off from saying anything else.

"What if we got a really long stick and pocked it in? If we hit the power lock button, then we're home free."

"Okay, that might actually work," Josh said, looking around for a stick.

"I thought you didn't want to hear my idea," Donna protested.

"Well it was actually a good one this time, so..."

"Josh!" She gave him a very angry look and smacked him.


	22. Great Outdoors, The 22

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Remind me to never, ever give you keys again," CJ said to Donna. "Ever." It had taken them nearly an hour to realize that all the sticks were breaking, and thirty more minutes before someone suggested using the marshmallow sticks, so they could get the vehicle unlocked. And then they still had to pack the thing up.

"One time, CJ," Donna said, tired of defending herself. She knew she wasn't the only one that had ever locked keys in a car before. "Besides. It's not like we didn't get inside."

"Yeah, but it took us way too long to do so," Josh, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car this time said. "And now we're going to get back to DC later than expected."

"Only two hours later," Donna said.

"Only two hours?" Toby, who was sitting next to Donna, spoke up.

"Well..."

"Okay," Ainsley, the driver finally said. "Enough verbally attacking Donna. She said she was sorry."

"Thank you Ainsley," Donna looked up to the front.

"Don't thank me. I'm just trying to concentrate on which exit to take and all this fighting is distracting me. And what, with my navigator," she said, referring to Josh. "Heavily involved in this fighting instead of navigating. I figure I need all the concentration I can get."

"Josh," CJ said.

Josh quickly picked the map up and tried to figure out where they were. He didn't have a clue, because Ainsley was right: He had not been paying attention. "Um," He looked at Ainsley.

She rolled her eyes and told him which highway they were on and then he looked for a mile marker before looking down at the map and pinpointing their location.

~~~

"It's about time," CJ said as she jumped out of the suburban when they got to the parking lot of her apartment building where they had done all the packing and left all their vehicles.

"What time is it?" Sam asked, stepping out of the vehicle.

"A little after seven," Ainsley answered.

He nodded and sighed as Ainsley opened the back doors of the suburban with the keys. He looked at the mess of a packing job that he and Josh did, having gotten no help from anyone else... punishment for picking on Toby's packing job.

"Who's taking the suburban back to the rental place?" Toby asked.

"Donna and I are," CJ answered him as she and Ainsley began to unload the vehicle. "We're going to take it to a car wash and then take it back."

"Okay," Toby said as his sleeping bag was propelled towards him. He barely managed to catch it, almost falling down. "Ainsley!"

"Yes?" She asked in a sweet voice with a smile on her face.

He glared at her and was about to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he took his sleeping bag and set it on the ground in a pile of other things that were his. He, Josh, and Donna helped Ainsley and CJ do this with everyone's things as Sam was busy cleaning the big things out of the front and middle of the car.

It took some time to do so, but everyone finally loaded all of their stuff into their own vehicles and CJ got her stuff back into her apartment. After everyone else left, she and Donna took the car, got it washed and detailed before they took it back and then parted ways. 


	23. Great Outdoors, The 23

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

The next day, Toby was his usual self, Josh seemed a bit more relaxed, and so did Donna and CJ. Ainsley was more chipper, but Sam... Sam couldn't stop itching.

Leo looked over at the younger man, "Sam, is something wrong?" He stopped the first senior staff meeting of the day as his attention was distracted a bit too much by Sam.

"Yes," he groaned and scratched his chest and then his legs.

Toby raised an eyebrow at the man, "What? Did you get into-"

"Poison ivy," Sam cut Toby off. "Damnit. I thought that's what that stuff was."

Josh laughed, "You thought it was poison ivy and you went into it anyway?"

"I dropped my hat in the woods. Yesterday, before we left... when you were going to come look for me."

"And you dropped it into poison ivy?" CJ asked, a little amused.

"I thought I saw leaves of three..." He groaned.

"Maybe you should go to a hospital or something," Leo suggested.

"Or at least put some calamine lotion on," Josh added.

"That's great Josh. You wouldn't happen to have any on you, would you?"

"No, no I don't believe I do." Josh said and then smirked. "But you could always send Cathy out to get some..."

"Okay," Leo said, taking control of the meeting once more. "Sam, when we're done, have Cathy get you some calamine lotion. Now, back to the confirmation of..."

~~~

"Sam," Josh said with a smirk as he moved over to his friend after the senior staff meeting.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, do me a favor."

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"Tell Cathy that you're allergic to a particular ingredient in regular calamine lotion and that she has to get a special lotion instead, one that doesn't exist at all. Tell her it's very important that she do so, or else you'll get even worse..."

"Why would I do something like that?"

"Because I need to get even with her for pulling that stunt with the time thing."

"Yeah, but if I do that, then I have to itch even longer. I don't think so, Josh." Sam turned a corner and was almost to the communications bullpen.

"I'll have Donna go and get you some calamine lotion so that Cathy's `time' will have been wasted."

Sam shook his head. "I need her in the office."

"Please, Sam."

Sam stopped and looked at Josh. Just one look at the smile on Josh's face and Sam shook his head and chuckled weakly, "Okay. Okay, I'll do it."

"Thanks!" Josh smirked.

"Yeah," Sam began to scratch his chest again.

~~~

"Donna!" Josh yelled. "Where's that file?!" Not even two hours back at work since their camping trip, and Josh was back in the deep end, just as when he left.

"Right here," Cathy said, entering Josh's office with a very unamused look on her face.

Josh looked up at Cathy and a huge smirk took over his entire face. "Hi Cathy. What's up?"

"I think you know what's up, Joshua. And it wasn't very funny."

"Ah, I thought it was." He laughed.

"You would," she dropped the file he had just asked Donna for on his desk.

"Well, we're even now."

Cathy looked at Josh for a moment longer. "I guess."

Josh smiled. "Good. Now go back to work. Sam's been bugging Donna all morning in your absence."

"Suits you right."

Josh shrugged and watched as Cathy left. He burst into laughter once she was gone at the look on her face when she came in. His only regret: he didn't get a picture of it.


	24. Great Outdoors, The 24

The Great Outdoors  
by AJ

"Finally," CJ rested her feet up on the top of her desk and relaxed in her chair. It was the end of the business day and there was an early lid on the press.

"I know what you mean," Josh said, coming into her office. He sat down on her couch and loosened his tie.

CJ looked over at Josh, "I have to admit, I had a lot of fun camping, despite falling in the lake, and all that other stuff."

"Yeah," Josh said with a soft smile. "I had fun too, even though I got lost, didn't catch any fish, and got pushed in the lake."

"You deserved it Josh." CJ said quickly. "The lake thing, I mean."

"Yes," Donna came into CJ's office and sat at the other end of the couch from Josh. "You deserved it, and so did Sam."

"What did I deserve?" Sam asked, coming into CJ's office.

"Being pushed into the lake," CJ answered.

"Oh." Sam leaned against the wall.

"Yeah," CJ and Donna smiled.

"CJ-" Toby entered CJ's office and was about to say something work related when he found it filled with his coworkers.

"What, Toby?" CJ asked.

"What's going on in here?" Toby asked.

"I think we're having a meeting." Donna answered.

"We are?" Josh asked.

"Well, we're all in here. The only one missing is Ainsley."

"Ainsley," CJ said quietly. She looked lost in space for a moment before looking up at everyone. "You know, Ainsley seems to be the only one that nothing happened to... Toby and the bear. Josh got lost. Sam got poison ivy. Me, Sam, and Josh and the lake. Sam and the hat."

"What about Donna?" Josh asked.

"Donna got scared by a ghost story," Donna said, giving Sam an icy look.

"Nothing happened to Ainsley, though," CJ summed up.

"What are you saying?" Sam asked, swallowing hard from the look Donna just gave him.

"I don't know... I say we do something to her though... just so she's not left out..."

"Like what?" Toby asked.

CJ smirked, as did Josh when he got the same exact idea that CJ had... ~~~ "Ainsley," CJ said into her telephone. "Can you come up to my office for a moment?"

"Sure," Ainsley answered. "I'll be right up." She hung up the phone, grabbed a donut off of her desk, and headed up to CJ's office. When she got there, Carol was gone and the door was shut, so she knocked. "CJ?"

"Come in," CJ called.

Ainsley took another bite of her donut and then opened the door to CJ's office. Upon doing so, a bucket of water tipped over, soaking her and her donut.

"Perfect!" Sam shouted with a smirk on his face. He was standing right behind CJ's desk holding a video camera.

Ainsley looked up at everyone in the office, "What's going on?"

"Payback." CJ answered.

"Payback?" Ainsley asked confused.

"Yes," Donna answered. "We realized that nothing bad happened to you on our camping trip, but something did happen to everyone else, so this is our payback, whether you had anything to do with our accidents or not."

"I didn't!" She protested and looked down at her soggy donut. She sighed and tossed it into the trashcan.

"We never said you did," Josh spoke up. "We're saying something happened to the rest of us, and we just wanted to make sure something happened to you, too."

"We wouldn't want you to feel left out or anything," Sam smirked.

"Sam." Ainsley said.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Okay," he said quickly as he set the video camera down.

The End.


End file.
